Halifax PN425 damaged in the air, landed at Carnaby airfield.

By this stage in the war 58 Squadron were firmly a Coastal Command squadron having been one of the original Bomber Command squadrons in Yorkshire at the start of the war. In April 1945 they were based at Stornoway and employed on anti-shipping patrols. On the night of 8th / 9th April 1945 the crew of this 58 Squadron aircraft took off from Stornoway at 21.15hrs for an anti-shipping patrol off Norway, named in the squadron records as being "Patrol L-6". At 02.58hrs the crew attacked a cargo-type boat off Norway and the last bomb they dropped scored a direct hit on the vessel. Photography of the damage was attempted but a photoflash became detached from the carrier and was caught up in the lanyards of the flares within the fuselage of the aircraft. The crew were unaware of this problem so when the the photoflash was released instead of dropping clear of the aircraft it exploded inside the aircraft. A large hole was made in the floor and lower side of the fuselage just behind the trailing edge of the wing root. The explosion also damaged part of the mid upper turret, possibly a fuel tank and also the navigation equipment. One of the crew, who had been in the mid-upper turret but who appears to have been resting on the floor of the fuselage near the site of the explosion fell through the hole in the floor. Aircrew did a visual check on the damage in the fuselage, finding a missing member it was assumed that he was lost. The aircraft was still flyable but from their position off Norway the crew opted to head for Carnaby instead of flying towards Scotland. A safe landing was made at 06.20hrs. After landing it was found that the mid upper gunner was hanging by his parachute harness to jagged parts of the damaged fuselage below the aircraft. Initially just one parachute harness buckle had fouled on a piece of jagged wreckage as he fell through the bottom of the aircraft, this saved his life. He had then managed to lift himself up onto a ledge and out of the main force of the slipstream of the aircraft. Despite the cold he managed to remain there for over three hours. He was found rather stiff at Carnaby and whisked away to sick quarters to be warmed up. It's fair to say that the wireless operator; F/Sgt John Francis Smith RAFVR (1528259), had probably one of the luckiest escapes in the whole war. The incident featured in various newspapers of the day.

Carnaby Station orb makes mention of this incident and stated that the wireless operator was admitted to their station sick quarters but had made a remarkable recovery in 48 hours. The aircraft is incorrectly listed as landing at Woodbridge on other websites.

Pilot - F/Lt Ronald Neil Lawson RAFVR (151125).

Second Pilot - F/Sgt J Ricketts RAFVR (1559259).

Navigator - P/O Colin Henry Kohler RAAF (416769).

Flight Engineer - F/Sgt Kenneth William Lloyd Magness RAFVR (1708167).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - WO Ronald Edward Frank Blades RAFVR (553997).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Frederick Charles Yeandle RAFVR (1339920).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/O Walter Smith.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt John Francis Smith RAFVR (1528259). Slightly injured.

Air Gunner - F/O Vaughan Icedro Jones RAF (54600).